Did you know that early phone books
included detailed directions on how to use the telephone? For example, a New York City telephone
directory from 1885 gave the following instructions:

We can laugh about that passage now; but
think about it, in 1885 the telephone was new technology and nobody had any
idea how to use one. In fact, even after
the telephone had been demonstrated, there was not universal agreement that it
had any immediate practical use. The
telegraph and other communications options were working just fine, thank you
very much.

Today, many organizations have tossed
out the owner’s manual as the ability to immediately start using a device or application
without instructions is a feature of User Experience (UX) and User Interface
(UI) design. However, judging by the number
of “For Dummies,” and other how-to books and videos it’s apparent that not all
consumer-focused UX/UI design is intuitive.
Or for that matter, that the target audience can visualize the new product
or service helping them achieve their goals or solve problems. After all, if the product doesn’t align with
the customer’s needs and expectations then what’s the point?

President Rutherford B. Hayes to
Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 on viewing the telephone for the first time:

“That’s an amazing invention, but
who would ever want to use one of them?”

“Experiences”
Create Emotional Events that Accumulate Over Time

A customer need exists because customers are not being satisfied by
either current products offered, or alternatives. And being customer-focused, you want to sell your
customers what they are asking for. But what would it take to convert people who aren’t
customers into customers? And what about
B2B situations where the customers (buyers) and users can be different
people? When should risks be taken to
let pure innovation step forward?
Because in today’s economy, getting the phone to ring is no laughing
matter for a start-up or small business owner.

“If I had asked people
what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

Henry Ford

The user experience is interwoven with
the total customer experience. And “experiences”
create emotional events that accumulate over time. Here are three points to consider as you
strive to create your desired customer experience.

1. Go back to your
marketing 101 course material and review the chapter on Product Life
Cycles. The telephone, television and
internet are like living organisms. They
are born, they live, and at some point they’ll die, or morph into something
quite different. The early-market
adopters have the ability to visualize usages and view new offerings for their
potential advantages. During the
introduction stage, many potential buyers must be made aware of the product’s
features, uses, and advantages. Digital
natives do not represent your free pass through the introduction phase. While they may have a comfort level with
technology that doesn’t guarantee they get it.
Finally, early-market buyers are generally willing to endure the
inconveniences that come with being first-generation customers. But you need to listen to them carefully when
they point out your inadequate documentation and missing functionality.

2. Also in your
marketing 101 material is a chapter on buyer behavior and motivation. There is probably a section on Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs. In short, what
motivational appeal are you going for across your customer interaction points? This won’t be easy because touchpoints include
stores, telephones, mail, web and every one of those new social media platforms
just to name a few. Consumers generally
want convenience, freedom of choice and consistency across those channels and
touchpoints so you have your work cut out for you.

3. Are you
presenting facts and figures, or telling a story? Related to buyer behavior and motivation is
the fact that people respond to words and pictures in much the same way that
they respond to real happenings. We are
attracted to stories because we a social creatures. Storytelling has the potential to evoke
strong responses to help persuade and change consumer behavior in your favor.